During the Regina Coeli on Good Shepherd Sunday, Pope Francis emphasized that Jesus loves us unconditionally, having given His life for us. He prayed that we might approach the Lord and allow ourselves to be "welcomed and lifted up by the loving arms of our Good Shepherd."
Speaking to the crowds gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the midday Regina Coeli, the Holy Father reflected on the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, which is dedicated to Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He highlighted that Jesus says three times that "the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep," emphasizing that Jesus loves each of us without limit and sacrificed his life for us.
Pope Francis noted that shepherds in Jesus' time spent entire days and nights caring for their sheep, not just a few hours. A good shepherd knows each of his sheep individually, watches over them, searches for them when they are lost, and ensures their safety and well-being by living among them.
He pointed out that Jesus not only shares our lives, knows each of us by name, and searches for us when we stray, but He is also "the Good Shepherd who has sacrificed His life for us and has given us His Spirit through His resurrection."
Love without limit
The image of the Good Shepherd then shows us how the Lord is not only our guide, the Head of the flock, but how above all He "thinks of each of us as the love of His life," the Pope underscored, as the Lord sees each of us as "important, irreplaceable, worth the infinite price of His life." And this is not just a way of speaking, the Pope said, the Lord "truly gave His life for me, He died and rose again for me, because He loves me and He finds in me a beauty that I often do not see myself."
Inestimable worth
Many people see themselves as inadequate or wrong, basing their value on what they achieve, how the world sees them, or the judgements of others, the Pope observed. But Jesus tells us we are worth so much to Him and always, the Pope underscored. So to truly find ourselves and happiness, we must seek to be in the Lord's presence, "allowing ourselves to be welcomed and lifted up by the loving arms of our Good Shepherd."
Rediscovering life's secret
The Pope then recommended we examine our own lives and consider whether we really accept the assurance of the Lord's boundless love that gives value and meaning to our lives. And this can be done through moments of prayer, adoration, praise, striving to remember and be in the Lord's loving presence. If we endeavour to do this in our lives, we will rediscover life's secret, the Pope concluded, as "you will remember that He gave His life for you, for me, for all of us. And that for Him, we are all important, each and every one of us"
“May Our Lady help us to find in Jesus what is essential for life.”
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
During the Regina Coeli, Pope Francis also recalled that today we celebrate the Church's World Day of Prayer for Vocations centered on the theme "Called to sow seeds of hope and to build peace."
The Pope recalled how today's celebration offers "a beautiful opportunity to rediscover the Church as a community characterized by an orchestra of charisms and vocations in the service of the Gospel."
He then greeted a group of new priests of the Diocese of Rome ordained at a celebration yesterday afternoon in Saint Peter's Basilica and asked everyone to pray for them.